Sen. John Thune (R-SD), the U.S. Senate’s third-ranking member, visited Manitou Americas in Madison, South Dakota, last week for an I Make America celebration of manufacturing.

Sen. Thune met with employees at Manitou's Gehl-brand manufacturing facility and toured the production area with Manitou Americas President and CEO Dan Miller, who showcased the plant's state-of-the-art manufacturing technology.

Both Sen. Thune and Miller delivered remarks to employees and supporters in front of the I Make America truck.

“It was a pleasure meeting the hard-working men and women at Manitou Americas’ facility in Madison and seeing firsthand the important work they're doing for our state and national security,” Sen. Thune said. “I appreciated the opportunity to see the company’s state-of-the-art facilities and discuss policies that promote U.S. manufacturing and would make our economy stronger and more secure.”

Miller spoke about the importance of equipment manufacturing to the local and state economies and urged employees to educate themselves on the issues that matter this election year so they are prepared to vote manufacturing on November 8th.

“In order for American equipment manufacturing to grow and expand, businesses need to work with state and federal politicians to create an environment that allows our country to flourish,” said Miller.

The event also included a charity raffle of a skid-loader to benefit the Interlakes Area United Way. Sen. Thune picked the lucky winner of the raffle, which raised nearly $50,000 for Lake, Miner and Moody counties.

Employees at the event had a chance to tour the I Make America truck, play the game and enjoy a barbecue lunch.

Also in attendance were State Sen. Scott Parsley and State Rep. Mathew Wollmann.